Smokejumpers
Every year, wildfires destroy millions of hectares of forest land, leaving many homes damaged and a lot of people homeless. Smokejumpers are helping to stop this.
What is a smokejumper?
Smokejumpers are a special type of firefighter. Unlike regular firefighters, they work in a different way. They jump from planes or are lowered by helicopters into areas that are difficult to reach by car or on foot, like the middle of a mountain forest. They race to put out fires as fast as they can.
What do smokejumpers do?
At a fire site, smokejumpers first examine the land and decide how to fight the fire. Their main goal is to stop a fire from spreading or to slow its progress until full, ground-based firefighters arrive. Using basic equipment such as shovels and axes, smokejumpers clear land of burnable material like dry grass and dead trees. They carry water with them too, but only a limited amount.
Who can be a smokejumper?
Although the majority of smokejumpers are men, more women are joining now. The most important factors are your height and weight. Smokejumpers employed in the United States, for example, must be between 120 and 200 pounds (54 and 91 kilograms), so they don't get blown by strong winds, or get hurt when they land. Smokejumpers must also be capable of surviving in the wild.
The work is dangerous, and the hours are long. But for these firefighters, smoke jumping isn't just an occupation. They love being able to jump out of planes, fight fires, and live in the forest. As 28-year-old smokejumper Bob Smith says, "This is the best job for tough guys."
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